Calling all students of wizardry, all experts on potions, charms, herbology and other magical subjects! We know that you (like us) have been waiting for the chance to use that stunning spell and that copy of “Hogwarts a History” that was compiled from Hermione quotes throughout the entire “Harry Potter” series. Now is the chance to show off your smarts.

Finally, a Halloween on a Friday. As you gear up with last year’s strap-on hole-in-a-box for the next social mixer, for trick-or-treating (good luck) or caravan to Santa Barbara, consider dressing up as something else this year: a legend.

Here are a few tips:

Be Scrappy, Not Crappy

If you’ve accumulated crap around your dorm or apartment, consider wearing it. Costume Idea Zone suggests dressing up as a Chia pet (wrap thyself in duct tape sticky side out, and go for a roll down a freshly mown Faculty Glade), a melted snowman (drench thyself and carry around two sticks and a scarf) and static cling (wear random clothes, to which you pin dryer sheets, sock, and undies; for bonus points, make your hair stand on end). About.com also offers endless ideas spawned from a cardboard box or your sweat suit. read more »

Halloween is coming up on Wednesday, and we figure you’ve got the costume situation all sorted out already. You’ve also hit up the weekend’s parties, and now you have to brave a Castro-party-less night in your Chipotle burrito wrap. Being such generous people, we came up with some other ideas to perk up your holiday:

10. Trick-or-treat with the co-opers. We’re serious about this one–it’s actually happening.
9. Don’t watch old seasons of “The X-Files.” Search for real X-type things with fellow alien-obsessed astronomers on top of Campbell Hall.
8. Wait for the Great Pumpkin to show at the oak grove. Find Zachary RunningWolf instead. Offer to “trick-or-treat” for acorns with him.
7. Be a real zombie. Stay up all night and go CRRRAZAAAY.
6. Work on your paper. Everyone knows it’s all about the weekend shindigs anyway.
5. Visit a little shop of horror … for real.
4. Realize that it would probably be easier and cheaper to just buy a big bag of mixed candy yourself. Completely break free of your childhood’s sense of fun and adventure. Cry, and pour yourself a drink. Repeat.
3. Go to class in costume. Feel really, really stupid.
2. Go to the Castro anyway. 50 cent got shot nine times. So can you.
1. Give yourself a good fright by not only liking Britney Spears’ new album, but also buying it off iTunes.